NASA's 2007 Phoenix mission performed the first wet chemical analysis of Martian soil using an array of ion-selective electrodes (ISEs). Due to size limitations, only 14 different ISEs were used in each beaker assembly. The suite included sensors for Na+, K+, NH4+, Ca2+, Mg2+, Ba2+, pH, Cl-, Br-, I- and NO3- / ClO4- as well as metal electrodes for voltammetry and chronopotentiometry (CP). Efforts are underway to develop a platform that improves on the Phoenix experiments by using a more complete array of ion-selective microelectrodes (�ISE) coupled with mesofluidic / microfluidic sample handling and processing. This design offers improvements over the Phoenix MECA experiments: flow-system configuration to increase analytical sample capacity, sensor redundancy for more complete and reliable analysis, and the ability to perform more advanced chemical characterization through reagent addition. These improvements will allow a more rigorous chemical characterization in future deployment in landed planetary science missions.

NERNST: An electrofluidic platform for planetary surface analysis

242nd National Meeting (2011)

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